Fifty fiddlers to perform on top of Cape Breton's Smokey Mountain

Fiddle music on top of a mountain in the Cape Breton Highlands is as Celtic of an experience as it gets, but imagine adding 49 more fiddlers to the mix.

"We're going to have 50 fiddlers at the top of the mountain playing a set of jigs and reels,” said Deron Donovan, an event organizer at Cape Smokey.

With the views from the top serving as the backdrop to some toe-tapping tunes, the Cape Smokey Ceilidh is being billed as a truly unique feast of sights and sounds.

"Well, is there anything more magical than fiddle music in Cape Breton?” Donovan asked. “And then this beautiful view to go with it. What a great way to celebrate something so important to our heritage."

The performance is part of the Cape Breton Fiddlers' Association's fiftieth anniversary celebrations.

It's also one of two 'Smokey Sessions' summer concerts planned for Cape Smokey in the coming weeks.

Shawn MacKinnon is a member of the Fiddlers' Association, and also hails from north of Smokey, so he looks forward to helping show off the kind of scenery he's been surrounded by his entire life.

"You're probably not going to get much more of a Cape Breton experience than being up here, because this is the Highlands - the Cape Breton Highlands,” MacKinnon said. “You feel like you’re on top of the world.”

From the gondola ride to the top to the picturesque performance at the summit, organizers encourage music and nature lovers to make a day of it.

"We're also going to have a musical walk with fiddlers along a trail, which will lead up to a beautiful lake at the top of the mountain as well, and then a free ceilidh for everyone at the bottom of the hill,” Donovan said.

The Cape Smokey Ceilidh is set for Aug. 15. The other Smokey Sessions concert, headlined by artists like J.P. Cormier, Dave Gunning and Pretty Archie, is scheduled for Aug. 5.

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